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Friday, 25 April 2014

Just when you thought you couldn't love and respect him any MORE...

...He goes and does this.Let's just love him forever, okay? Okay.I have never met a more inspiring person. Ever.[On a related note...Holy guacamole; I can say that. I met him. Let's just all take a moment to process that.]While I'm processing that (it may take some time), let's just watch these and get ourselves motivated to live, to inspire other people, to be kind to one another, to be who we want to be, and to dream out loud. I've transcribed each one as well, because, you know, I love words. Words are awesome :3Enjoy!Xo

Bystander Revolution: Jared Leto | Owning Yourself

“As a kid who was pretty different himself, I think that –
you know what I would tell people who are individuals out there is that you’re
the ones who inherit the earth. Believe in yourself and be patient, and be as
different as you want to be. You have every right to do that. It may be
difficult and lonely at times, but there is no greater privilege than owning
yourself.”

Bystander Revolution: Jared Leto | Make Amends

"When I was a kid, on more than one occasion I got in a
fight with somebody in the schoolyard, and the next day they were, you know,
close friends. That doesn’t always happen and it’s not a great way to make a
good friend, but there are opportunities for people to take some of their
mistakes and make them right. And there’s nothing more powerful than somebody
who has made a mistake to promptly admit it and to make amends. That can be an
incredible thing, and I think a lot of people have probably done that. Have had
regret, have changed and have learned that what they’ve done has hurt other
people and have come back and said ‘You know what? Hey, I messed up. I’m sorry,
and, you know, I’d like to make it right.’ You know for people that have done
that out there, who have picked on other people and bullied, it’s never too
late to just to – just to stop and be like ‘Hey. I’m tired of being the
asshole. Today I’m going to start being someone else.’”

Bystander Revolution: Jared Leto | Get Offline

“Cyber bulling and the online world can be a veil that
people hide behind to, you know, a perceived greater strength. But really it’s
not, and I think when things are in print and we see words on a computer or a
phone, they can be incredibly hurtful because in some way, we sense that they
can live forever. You know there’s a lot in life that doesn't happen online and
you know if people are having a tough time online, my suggestion would be to
get offline. To get into the real world – into the physical world – and to give
it a break, you know, to start again. Build a new community. So, you know, look
at where you’re hanging out. Who you’re hanging out with. Sometimes those
places or those people that you may want to be around aren’t so important after
all.”

Bystander Revolution: Jared Leto | Stand Up For Yourself

“When I was a kid, I would often stand up to people, and I think
that people had a sense. They knew that even though I was skinny and small –
and I certainly wasn’t the toughest kid on the block – that I wasn’t going to
let you get away with it. So there’s something to that, to standing up for
yourself and saying, ‘You know what? No.’ Because a lot of times, the dog’s
bark is worse than the bite. So I found that to be true a lot of times. But it’s
difficult to encourage some young person to confront someone else because that
can lead to escalation. But I think it’s okay to stand up for yourself. I think
it’s okay to look someone in the eye and tell them to stop and to demand some
respect.”

Bystander Revolution: Jared Leto | Say Hi

“When I was a kid I moved around quite a bit. I was often ‘the
new kid’. I don’t remember ever being taught to say hello to other students. I
wonder if they do that now, but I think that’s a really simple thing and an
easy thing when there’s a new kid just to say hi. It doesn’t take a lot of work
to say hi. It doesn’t take a great deal of commitment. But just to be [say] hi
and smile at somebody and to say ‘where are you from?’ or ‘welcome’. But that’s
a – it’d be a nice thing if they reminded us to do that more often, ‘cause it
can go a long way and help people feel comfortable and at home in their new
surroundings.”

As a teacher (and as a human being), I wholeheartedly agree with everything he has said. A few simple acts can go a long way to help take the power out of bulling, and to help those who feel victimized or persecuted because of who they are, where they live, what they look like, who they are friends with or whatever other completely ridiculous ways bullies can make others feel inferior. To learn more about the Bystander Revolution project, or to find advice about what you can do if you or someone you know is being bullied, check out their website: http://www.bystanderrevolution.org. It only takes one.